Psalms 109
1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent,
Unto the end. A Psalm of David.
2 for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.
O God, do not be silent toward my praise, for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful one have been opened against me.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
They have spoken against me with deceitful tongues, and they have surrounded me with hateful words, and they fought against me over nothing.
4 In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.
Instead of choosing to act on my behalf, they detracted me. But I gave myself to prayer.
5 They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
And they set evil against me, instead of good, and hatred, in return for my love.
6 Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.
Establish the sinner over him, and let the devil stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him come out guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.
When he is judged, may he go forth in condemnation, and may his prayer be counted as sin.
8 Let his days be few. Let another take his office.
May his days be few, and let another take his episcopate.
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
May his sons be orphans, and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.
May his sons be carried by those who walk unsteadily, and may they go begging. And may they be cast out of their dwelling places.
11 Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.
May the money lenders scrutinize all his belongings, and let foreigners plunder his labors.
12 Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.
May there be no one to assist him, nor anyone to be compassionate to his orphaned children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
May his posterity be in utter ruin. In one generation, may his name be wiped away.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
May the iniquity of his fathers return in memory before the sight of the Lord, and do not let the sin of his mother be wiped away.
15 Let them be before Yahweh continually, that he may cut off their memory from the earth;
May these be opposite the Lord always, but let their memory perish from the earth.
16 because he didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.
For certain things are not remembered about them, in order to be merciful.
17 Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him.
And so the destitute man was pursued, with the beggar and the remorseful in heart, so as to be put to death.
18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.
And he loved a curse, and it came to him. And he was unwilling to have a blessing, and it went far from him. And he clothed himself with curses like a garment, and it entered his inner self like water, and it entered his bones like oil.
19 Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.
May it be to him like a garment that covers him, and like a belt that always cinches him.
20 This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh, of those who speak evil against my soul.
This is the work of those who detract me with the Lord and who speak evils against my soul.
21 But deal with me, Yahweh the Lord, for your name’s sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;
But as for you, Lord, O Lord: act on my behalf for your name’s sake. For your mercy is sweet.
22 for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.
Free me, for I am destitute and poor, and my heart has been disquieted within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.
I have been taken away like a shadow when it declines, and I have been shaken off like locusts.
24 My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.
My knees have been weakened by fasting, and my flesh has been replaced by oil.
25 I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.
And I have become a disgrace to them. They saw me, and they shook their heads.
26 Help me, Yahweh, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;
Help me, O Lord, my God. Save me according to your mercy.
27 that they may know that this is your hand; that you, Yahweh, have done it.
And let them know that this is your hand, and that you, O Lord, have done this.
28 They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.
They will curse, and you will bless. May those who rise up against me be confounded. But your servant will rejoice.
29 Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
May those who detract me be clothed with shame, and may they be covered with their confusion, as if with a double cloak.
30 I will give great thanks to Yahweh with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.
I will confess exceedingly to the Lord with my mouth. And I will praise him in the midst of the multitude.
31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.
For he stands at the right hand of the poor, in order to save my soul from persecutors.
